Yes!
About time something went their way...
XLII
The sky was murderous black through the crumbling window socket, spread with cold dead stars. A sliver of curved bone shone through the trees, as the full moon clawed its way over the horizon. Turning the world to ice with its uncaring light.
But even though the sun had gone down long, long ago, Natasha’s prison remained an oven. Turned up full and left to burn everything to a cinder.
Except for the shit.
That roasted in the cloying heat, its foul brown stink seeping into the dirt and stone walls. Lining the leather mask. Helping it suffocate her...
As the light faded, the bluebottles had settled down for the night.
But DS Davis hadn’t.
Rock music pounded out of the static caravan, loud enough to make the metal wallsbuzzzz. Because even when they were asleep you couldn’t escape the flies...
Natasha lay on her back, in the dirt, gazing up and out of the window at the cool, indifferent darkness of space.
Waiting to die.
Because that was what she was doing here.
Dying.
The only question was, what would get her first: dehydration or DS Davis?
...
Inflicting his revenge for something she didn’t evendo.
Wasn’therfault some violent scumbag tried to burn a bunch of migrants to death, was it? She didn’t light the match, no matter what the psychotic bastard said.
All she did was reflect the fears of her readers.
She wasn’t the monster here.
SHE WASN’T THE MONSTER.
Hebreaks intoherhouse, attacks her, abducts her, strips her, chains her up in a shitty outhouse, tries to kick her ribs in, and somehowshe’sthe monster?
Fuck that.
Bastard’sinsane, that’s what he is.
A rabid dog who needs taken behind the wood shed and put out of its misery.
Cos she’s not the monster.
It’s not her fault.
It’shis.
The music got even louder, and it wasn’t all muffled any more, then awhumpand it was back to being an insectbuzzzzagain.
Like someone had opened and shut the caravan door.
